​2002 ​With the restructuring of the electric market in Texas, the company spun off its retail electric as Reliant Resources. Within two years, the company would also sell its electric generation assets. The remaining mostly regulated energy delivery company adopted the name CenterPoint Energy to reflect our role in the center of the energy value chain and the center of our customers' lives.

Electric bills for customers in the Houston area can more than double in summer months, mainly because air conditioning. Not coincidentally, electric rates also rise in the summer months because of this increase in demand. The most dramatic rate increases occur in month-to-month plans, but electric rates do increase across the board for all fixed-rate contract lengths.

There was a time when electricity was electricity. Like so many other places around America, in Houston, electricity didn’t mean “cheap electricity”. But you moved into your home and you called the utility and they turned on the power and the bill came in and you paid it every month. Oh, sure, you might grumble at the amount but then you’d go around and yell at the kids for leaving the lights on and the TV blaring with nobody in the room or maybe you’d look into buying more energy-efficient appliances. When it came down to it, the Bill was the Bill. Either you paid the bill or you ate dry packet meals, had cold showers, and watched TV by peering through the neighbor’s window after dark (preferably once they’d turned the TV on). What’s that? You want cheap electricity? Sure thing: call 1-800-WHO-CARES any time during regular business hours of 2:17am to 3:04am Sundays only.
Energy sellers must provide collateral to ERCOT to cover expected future costs of buying wholesale electricity and if the companies don’t have enough capital, they get shut down. Breeze Energy, a Dallas-based electricity retailer that sold wind-energy plans to 9,800 customers including many in the Houston area, got caught in that financial squeeze when it defaulted on its collateral obligations.
The increase in retail rates come as companies prepare for surging prices in the wholesale electricity markets where they buy their power. Forecasts of higher than normal temperatures and record power demand are coinciding with the shutdown of at least three coal-fired plants, leading to concerns that temporary shortages on the hottest summer days could send wholesale prices, which typically average less than $50 per megawatt hour, spiking to $3,000 per megawatt hour or higher. (A megawatt hour is 1,000 kilowatt hours.)
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Payless Power provides the best prepaid and standard energy plans with no cancelation fees and no deposit in the area. Since 2005, Payless Power has been helping people get better energy rates and save money on their average power bill, regardless of income or credit history. As a family-owned energy provider and not one of the giant electricity suppliers, we take great pride in serving our customers with care and respect.
No matter who you are, residents and business owners in Texas have to have electricity. Understanding electricity rates in Houston can be overwhelming at first. At SaveOnEnergy.com®, our job is to help you explore your Houston energy options. The more you learn about electric companies in your area, the easier your decision will be when you choose an energy plan.
Texas deregulation began in early 2002 with the approval of Texas Senate Bill Number 7. Now, the majority of the state, including Houston, has the power to select their own provider. Previously, consumers were only given one option for an energy supplier. Deregulation has allowed competition in the energy market and has given residents the power to choose which energy provider sells them energy and bills them each month.

Consumers were promised cheaper power when Texas deregulated its electricity markets in 2002 at the urging of big industrial users and power companies. Average retail prices have declined by more than 60 percent since 2001, although much of that decline is due to the plunge in natural gas prices that followed advances in shale drilling and consequently wholesale power prices. Proponents of deregulation argue that they still have choices that can save them money.

As the largest city in Texas, Houston has a lot to offer – great shopping, out-of-this-world attractions, theaters, museums, a world-class culinary scene and more. At TXU Energy, we love being part of this diverse and exciting city. We’ve been providing Houston electricity for years – offering straightforward pricing and great plans designed to fit your household’s needs. It’s what’s made us the #1 choice for Texas electricity service.
Oncor, the state’s largest distribution utility which covers Dallas, Fort Worth and much of North Texas, has already agreed to pass all of the millions of dollars of expected tax savings along to consumers. Oncor agreed to pass the savings along to customers as part of a rate review which is a formal process in which the PUC reviews the appropriateness of rates being charged by the utility. No exact details have been determined with respect to how the savings will be passed along. The rate review was actually completed before the tax reform bill was passed but there was a commitment in principle to passing along the savings. It’s not yet know exactly how much Oncor will save from the lower corporate tax rates but with a $245 million tax bill in 2017 future saving are likely to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Using an average of 1,063 kWh of power each month, Houston’s energy consumption rates exceed the national average by over 100 kWh. As a city however, it does manage to maintain a lower monthly energy charge than the rest of the US, incurring an average fee of $99 in comparison to the $112 national monthly average. To further save on their plans each month, residents can choose from a selection of Texas-based energy suppliers and service plans.